


Scooby Doo goes to College!

by CassielWhorechester



Category: Scooby Doo - All Media Types
Genre: College AU, First Meetings, Fluff, Medicinal Drug Use, Modern AU, Multi, Poly mystery inc, Polyamory, Recreational Drug Use
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:20:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24151210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CassielWhorechester/pseuds/CassielWhorechester
Summary: What if the gang met as young adults in college?
Relationships: Daphne Blake/Fred Jones, Daphne Blake/Norville "Shaggy" Rogers, Daphne Blake/Velma Dinkley, Daphne Blake/Velma Dinkley/Fred Jones/Norville "Shaggy" Rogers, Fred Jones/Norville "Shaggy" Rogers, Velma Dinkley/Fred Jones, Velma Dinkley/Norville "Shaggy" Rogers
Comments: 10
Kudos: 74





	1. Glasses and Gym class

**Author's Note:**

> Howdy Ny'all, I hope you enjoy! This first chapter is Daphne and Velma! I have the next few chapters written but I'm gonna try and space out my posting since I don't get a chance to sit down and write very often. (Thanks ADHD)

"Y-You wouldn't hit someone with glasses...would you?" It was fourth-period gym and it was the popular and beautiful Daphne Blake up against...Velma. Just Velma. Dinkley. Small, chubby, glasses-wearing Velma Dinkley. 

Each girl stood alone on either side on the basketball court. Daphne held the only ball still in play and blinked at Velma. A small chuckle passed between her beautifully glossed lips. Then it grew. It bubbled and boiled over, brewing into a full laugh. The ginger girl slapped a hand to her sweat-dampened forehead, and nearly bellowed with laughter. It startled a chuckle out of Velma who looked to her classmates who stood on the sidelines. They looked equally confused. Daphne finally stopped laughing and leveled Velma with a beautiful stare. 

"Of course I would." Then she drew her arm back and threw. Velma had hardly any time to react. The ball hit her square in the chest, nearly knocking the breath out of her. Daphne's team erupted in cheers and Velma sank to the floor in semi-painful defeat. Her team disbursed to the locker rooms, a small few offering soft shoulder pats of apology. When the herd thinned and Velma had sat in her own pity puddle for several moments she saw a very familiar, well-manicured hand reaching out to her. 

Looking up, Velma came to make eye contact with the athletic girl. Her hand was smooth and just as clammy as Velma’s. Or maybe that was just Velma. But she guessed her first thought was right since Daphne didn't pull her hand away in disgust. 

"Good Game. " Daphne said with a smile, still holding Velma's hand. Velma looked at their joined hands and Daphne's face for a moment, her mind totally blank. "Sorry if that last blow hurt. Could I make it up to you, Velma?" Velma felt like her brain was short-circuiting. 

"Make it up to me?" Daphne giggled again. "You know my name?" The nerdy girl could feel a metaphorical blue screen imposing on her frazzled mind. Daphne smiled and squeezed her hand and began to excitedly pull her towards the locker room. 

"Of course I do Velms! So, how do you feel about that cute little cafe across the street from the science building? " There it was. She had effectively blue screened. Her entire brain had caught fire, rebuilt itself, and then burned down again. Was the Daphne blake asking Velma on a date? 

"The one with the cats? I've been meaning to go there for a while." Velma recognized her own voice from a long way off and cringed internally. "That's the one, so are you in?" Daphne bit her lip, casting a side glance at Velma. She almost looked nervous. "I-I'm free next Friday." Velma had no idea if that was true. But with the way Daphne was smiling at her, she'd move mountains to make it true. 

"Then it's a date!"


	2. Forgetful Camper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fred is forgetful and Shaggy is too nice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hyello! Sorry for taking so long on posting this one, I kinda lost track of the days. This one is a bit longer and...well, I wrote it about a year ago before I knew what college was like so please just don't question why they're on a class camping trip. Enjoy! Kudo's and Comments are much appreciated!!

It’s official. Completely. Fred is an absolute moron. This is a camping trip that he had been looking forward to for days, and yet he somehow managed to forget his sleeping bag. How the fuck did he forget his sleeping bag?  
“Like, hey man. You’re my tent buddy, uh, right?” Fred turned to his left and felt his whole face go red. Why did the universe want to punish him? He’d been silently crushing on the lanky brunette from afar all term.  
“Uhm, I uh, y-yeah I’m Fr-red. We’re uhm, tent. Yes.” His classmate looked at him quizzically, a small giggle escaping his lips. Fred was staring. He should stop staring.  
“I’m gonna be, like, totally honest man. I’ve never camped before. I have, like, no idea what I’m doing.” He rubbed the back of his neck, casting his gaze to the ground. Fred was a goner.  
“That's okay!” Fred was startled by the volume of his own voice. He cleared his throat and tried again. “That’s okay. I’ve done this a bunch.” He puffed out his chest, hoping to sound impressive.  
They made small talk as Fred went about setting up the tent. Fred finally learned his classmates’ name and the name of his dog. Shaggy had divulged that he had gotten Scooby a few years ago and that he was a fully trained service dog. The teacher had left them alone for the rest of the day, and Fred was hoping he could show off his skills. Despite the uncomfortable angle, Fred did his best to show off his strength as he hammered the tent spikes as deep into the ground as he could get them. Due to the easy comradery between the two of them, they lost several hours to the set up of their tent. The sun was beginning to set, and the teacher called them in to start in on dinner.  
The pair sat together and kept up their conversation, very nearly ignoring the rest of their class. Fred was ready to get down on one knee right then and there. But luckily his friend pulled him back to his senses.  
“Yo, Jones, you got any mysteries to tell us about?” Good old Red Herring, he knew just how to embarrass Fred. He tried to wave off the ginger-haired boy, but this merely started a rampant round of chanting. He sighed and looked to Shaggy for help, but to his horror, Shaggy was quietly chanting along with them. Of course, he caved in.  
“Alright, Alright, Gimme a second.” Fred wracked his brain, trying to think of something. “Okay, Have I told you guys about ‘The Boy in the Box’?” He received a unanimous no, and so began his story. “ So, in February of 1957, in the woods off Susquehanna Road in Fox Chase, Philadelphia, there was a box. A bassinet box to be exact. And inside this box, was a boy…”  
Fred told the heart-wrenching tale of America’s Unknown Child, casting glances back to Shaggy as often as he could without being weird. Scooby seemed to also be paying rapt attention, which nearly threw him off his game a few times. Thankfully, he was able to finish his tale without a problem, leaving his class solemnly buzzing with curiosity. The teacher assigned their chores for the night and dismissed them to bed.  
“Hey, like, why didn’t you set up your sleeping bag?” Shaggy looked around as he helped Scooby settle into his doggy bed. Fred’s stomach tightened in embarrassment.  
“I, uhm, forgot it ...at home.” He said, softly. Shaggy blinked at him for a moment before shrugging.  
“Well, you can just-” He cut off, a soft blush creeping up his cheeks. Fred cocked his head, half turning to take his shirt off so he could change into his pajamas.  
“You, uhm, You could share with me.” Fred whipped around, shirt be damned. His whole head was filled with the sound of his beating heart. He faintly wondered if Shaggy could hear it. Of course he could, it was practically bashing its way out of his chest as it was. “B-But, like, only if you wanted too!” Shaggy was turning an ugly shade of red, petting Scooby roughly behind the ears. Fred suddenly realized how his reaction must have looked.  
“No!” He yelled, startling the three of them, “I mean, No, I wouldn’t mind!” He pushed the sentence out, scooting closer to Shaggy, hoping to put his mind at ease. “Thank you. For offering.” They just stared at each other for several moments before Scooby let out what sounded suspiciously like a snicker. They laughed at themselves and went back to getting ready for bed.  
Shaggy climbed into the sleeping bag first, nestling down before gently unzipping some of it so that Fred could get in. He did his best to worm his way down without kicking or elbowing Shaggy. When he finally settled his head on his pillow he turned away from Shaggy, trying his best to not be awkward.  
“Like, just to warn you, I usually sleep with Scoob so sorry if I, like, start cuddling you in the middle of the night.” Fred was getting real tired of blushing.  
“Don’t worry about it, Shagster. You can, uh, go for it. If it makes you feel better.” There was a moment of tense silence before a bony hand slid over his side, and the rest of Shaggy pressed itself along his back. He probably just imagining things, but Fred could’ve sworn he felt Shaggy nuzzle into the top of his head. “Goodnight.”  
“Night, man.”  
“ Woof!” Scooby jolted another laugh out of the two of them, and it helped Freddy relax. He let himself melt into Shaggy’s surprisingly strong grip and dozed off. In the morning, he’d ask Shaggy out to lunch. He wondered if they could bring Scooby to that little cafe across from the science building.


	3. A thief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daphne is a thief! What boon has she acquired?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hyello! Sorry for another short chapter!! I'm almost done with the meet-cutes which means I'm almost done with my pre-written chapters! So If you've got any suggestions for where this story should go I'd greatly appreciate them. <3

Daphne felt a bit like a thief. Okay, more than a bit. This was it, she had turned to a life of crime. If they ever found out she would be a wanted woman. Her purse weighed a ton. Everyone could tell. They knew. They all knew what a thief she was. She had stolen and it had branded her. She kept glancing over her shoulder, causing her to walk directly into someone. She dropped her purse, causing her ill-gotten boon to spill over and scatter everywhere. Looking up she made eye contact with a tall brunette, feeling her own face go dark red.  
“Are those, like, condoms?” There was a dog stood next to him, gently sniffing the massive pile of condoms at their feet.  
“No.” She hit the ground a bit too quickly, wincing when her knees connected with the concrete. Scooping as many of the tiny packages into her bag, as quickly as she could, she was spooked when the boy bent down and started helping.  
“Like, I could totally be wrong but,” He paused holding up a single condom, “I think these are actually condoms.” Daphne gently snatched the package from his nimble fingers, hastily shoving it as deep into her bag as she could. “Is this one ...flavored?”   
“Uhm, yeah, I think so.” She couldn’t help it. She started giggling. “It’s mint. Probably to help your breath stay minty fresh.”’ She plopped down on her butt and giggled, which caused the boy across from her to start giggling too. They sat there laughing for several moments before they finally calmed down.  
“I’m Shaggy, by the way. This is Scooby-Doo.” He gestured to the dog who had been sitting beside them. He boofed at Daphne gently, quickly shoving his head into Daphne’s outstretched hand.   
“I’m Daphne Blake. Do you uh, I mean, What classes are you taking?” Finally getting all of the condoms back into her purse and closing the zipper, she stood. Shaggy stood also, his knees popping loudly. “Oh, that can't be good.”  
“Yeah, but what can you do?” Shaggy laughed awkwardly. “And I’m in the culinary course. With a few gym classes to like, spice things up.” He looked proud of himself and Daphne couldn’t help but laugh. “Like, what about you?”   
“I’m in the cosmetology program, and uh, I’m thinking about starting up a Detectives Club.” She cast her eyes downward to Scooby who was begging for more pets.  
“Detective club?”  
“Yeah, I’ve always wanted to solve mysteries and stuff. I love the paranormal, always have.” Shaggy had a fond smile on his face.   
“My, uh, You’d probably get along with a f-friend of mine. He’s chock full of stories of unsolved crimes and stuff like that.” Daphne’s phone buzzed with a text from Velma. A lightbulb went off in Daphne’s head.  
“Why don’t you give me your number and we can all meet up sometime? My friend would love to meet Scooby, and we could all talk shop over cocoa.” She turned her phone over to Shaggy, the screen already at a blank contact. He shakily took the offered phone and typed something in. She verified the number with him, firing off a quick text to give him her number before she ran off. She had a date, and hopefully, these condoms would come in handy.


	4. Laundry Room Lore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Velma needs a decent outfit for her date, how difficult can picking out clothes be?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howdy Ny'all. Sorry for the absence, I wound up leaving the state for a few days! (For important family stuff I'd rather keep private) Here's another meetup! As always, Kudos and Comments fuel me and are much appreciated! (To those of you who have commented already: Thank You So Much! They all brought a genuine smile to my face and have helped encourage me to continue posting!)

Velma’s date was in two days. Two days and absolutely nothing in her closet would do. There wasn’t a single article of clothing hung up in her closet, or strewn about her floor that was good enough to wear on a date with Daphne Blake. She had checked twice. Admittedly there weren’t many clothes to check, but still. Unfortunately, this meant that she would have to turn to her dirty clothes pile.   
“Okay Dinkley, you can do this. Just find something to wear, and throw in a load of laundry. Easy peasy.” She cast a glance at her ever-growing laundry pile. Plopping herself on the ground, Velma upturned her basket and began to sift through the fabric.  
“Alright,” Velma murmured to herself, holding up a cozy-looking orange sweater, “This is presentable. I think I even have a skirt to go with it!” She hadn’t worn the sweater yet, it was only in the dirty clothes pile because her mother had sent it from the local charity store. You always wash those things. She tossed it aside, diving back in to find the rest of her outfit.   
With everything gathered Velma grabbed a random handful of clothes and tossed them into her hamper, getting ready to head down to the dorm laundry room. She waved off a few offers to study as she went down the levels. Reaching the basement, Velma paused. She had heard the rumors, everyone had heard the rumors.   
20 years ago there had been a series of girls killed. The first two went down separately and were never seen from again. After that girls started going down in pairs and groups, for fear of being the next victim. But after a steady night of partying, a pair of girls went down and were gone. The school kept the whole thing quiet and tried their best to keep the police out of it, but after another three girls went missing they finally made the call. The police walled off all the windows and kept a guard near the door at all hours. This lead them nowhere for weeks. Everyone assumed that whatever was taking these girls had gotten bored and moved on. But people were still nervous and the school decided to try and move the laundry units to another area on campus. In the process of clearing things out, the movers found a secret room. There was an awful smell coming from one of the walls, which is how they found the room. One that hadn’t shown up on any blueprints. The bodies of all eight girls were found. The details of how they died vary from telling to telling, but the consensus was that they all died bloody. In the middle of the room was a man. He had no fingerprints and his head was missing. Now he haunts the laundry room, traumatizing girls and boys alike.  
Standing in front of the closed door, Velma took a deep breath in an attempt to calm the shaking that plagued her knees. Rationally, Velma knew that ghosts weren’t real. That the story couldn’t hurt her. And yet here she stood, with an armful of dirty clothes, decidedly not entering the harmless room. She felt her heart rate pick up as she hesitantly reached for the knob, jumping back and dropping her hamper when she heard a thud and a shout from the other side.   
Were the rumors true? Were there really ghosts in the basement? Velma shook, paralyzed with fear. There was another shout and it spurred Velma into action, ghosts be damned there was no way she was going to stand by while a fellow student was harassed and possibly maimed. Ripping open the door, Velma rushed in with a vicious yell, her arms raised and ready to defend this mystery student. It took a moment for her to process that not only was there no ghost, but her feet were wet as well. Actually, she was wet up to her ankle. Looking down, Velma took note of the 4 inches of water and of the very damp blonde several feet to her left.  
“Uh, I can explain.”   
“I sure hope so, because if I have to wear dirty clothes for my date…” The blond smiled bashfully, finally standing. “You’ve got about 2 seconds before I unleash my fury upon you….sir.” Her threat ended with less venom than intended when she realized she didn’t know the boy’s name. Luckily, he still looked rather stricken.  
“Well, I’ve been hearing about that rumor about the girls that died down here and how they come back as ghosts, or how the killer comes back as a ghost or whatever and-” Velma was getting a bit dizzy just listening to him.  
“Please take a pause. You’ve got my attention, but talking in one run-on sentence is making me queazy.” He flushed again.  
“Right. Sorry. As I was saying, I heard about the ghosts and I….well I figured that if I set a good enough trap I could catch who or what’s been haunting the basement.” At least he had the decency to look ashamed.  
“And why exactly does this plan involve flooding the basement?” She tried to tap her foot, but the water made it too difficult and she felt a bit silly hearing the splash.  
“It didn’t! I mean, it was an accident. I was trying to move one of the washers into the right place and I guess I disconnected something. “ He looked around at the mess he had created and sighed. “I’m Fred, by the way. Fred Jones. I’ll...I can drive you to the laundry mat and pay for this load since I think this room is gonna be off-limits for a bit.” Velma felt her frustration melt a little bit.  
“Velma Dinkley. And all I need is a ride.”


	5. What a Ham!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Shaggster and the brain finally meet!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hyello! Sorry for the wait, writers block has sucked but I pushed through for all of you! As always, Kudos and Comments are greatly appreciated!

Shaggy felt a bit like death. Or, what he thought death might feel like. Though now that he’s thinking about it, he really hopes this isn’t what death feels like. Either way, he needs some food in him pronto.  
“Urgh, like Scoob, don’t ever let me take those gummies again.” He sighed and eyed the bag of said gummies with apprehension. The guy had said it had a low THC content, but Shaggy had a feeling he was sorely mistaken. “Or, just like, don’t let me eat a whole one, man.” He swung his legs off the bed and looked at his pup. He’d had Scooby for a few years now and can’t imagine what his life would be like without him. Getting dressed, Shaggy slipped Scoob’s harness on and they were out the door.   
Stepping out into the cold was like an electric shock to his system, giving him a near-instantaneous headache. He groaned deep in his throat, allowing scooby to lazily pull him along. Keeping his eyes half-closed the whole way there he was surprised he hadn’t tripped on anything. Usually, Scoob would pull him into a bush or two, but his dog seemed to take pity on him this morning. They stepped inside the cafeteria and Shaggy felt himself come back to life, at least a little bit. Food always perked him up. He gently secured the end of scooby’s leash to one of his belt loops and started walking towards the breakfast set up. He grabbed a bowl and spoon, looking down at Scooby as he turned towards the cereal.  
“You know, I think I’m gonna have, like, a nice bowl of fruit loops today pal.” Scooby looked up at him and boofed a soft approval, his tail wagging slowly. He noticed a semi-familiar silhouette standing at the cereal dispenser, but walking and thinking and breathing still felt a bit like sludge which made it harder to place where he knew her from. Maybe...photography? Nah, that’s a different girl, they look nothing alike. Something was crunching under his shoes but he paid it no mind, he was right next to the girl and he had almost cleared the fog.  
“Hey, you’re Daphne’s girlfriend right?” The words popped out of his mouth before he finished thinking them. Something smelled really sweet. Like fruit loops. Looking down he saw scooby eating from a large pile of cereal on the ground. Slowly looking back up he noticed that the dispenser was now completely empty, and turning to look over his shoulder he saw a short trail of crushed cereal. Oh. “Like, the dispenser broke.” He blinked at the much shorter girl in front of him. Her face was an angry red and she looked like she might cry.  
“Damn it, Rogers! Again?” A very round, red-faced man came waddling towards them. He slowly put two and two together and made a decision. “How many times am I gonna have to clean up after you?” He looked back at the girl next to him and was faintly aware that his heart was beating very hard.  
“ Like, sorry Mr. Wallace, sir. “ His voice was calmer than he thought it would be, and he reached his hand out to scooby, his fingertips brushing the fur on his dogs’ back. The touch calmed him and helped him see through the sludge clogging his brain. The girl next to him looked like she was going to speak up so he cut her off. “I thought I’d help...my friend here get some cereal but I guess I just made things worse. “ The stocky janitor looked between the two of them with furrowed brows before sighing and smiling softly.  
“Get yourself outta here. I’ve got this.” Shaggy’s face flushed and he gently ushered...Valerie? Vera? Whatever her name was, Shaggy corralled her and scooby off to a table, empty bowls in hand.  
“You didn’t have to do that, you know.” She finally spoke up once they sat down. “And I’m not Daphne’s girlfriend.” She looked a bit sad when she said that. Shaggy smiled stiffly and scratched Scooby behind the ears. Maybe this had been a mistake? What if he had committed some terrible social faux pas? Scooby huffed and tried to climb into the seat next to Shaggy, suitably distracting him from his spiraling anxiety.   
“But thank you. “ With Scooby settled halfway into his lap, Shaggy was free to turn back to the girl next to him. “I’m Velma. Velma Dinkley.” She stuck her hand out, looking at Shaggy with shaky confidence. He took the offered hand.  
“Like, Shaggy Rogers. Nice to officially meet you, man.” Velma chuckled and Shaggy felt himself blush a little. “ I like your sweater. Not a lot of people can pull off Orange.” He watched her face flush and felt his heart warm. “And this is, like, my dog Scooby-Doo.” His tail began to wag excitedly at the mention of his name, getting faster as Velma hesitantly reach out, pausing before actually petting him. “Its okay, Scooby loves attention. “  
“Oh, I don’t want to...well...isn’t he a service dog?” Scooby’s tail slowed down before stopping altogether. “ I wouldn’t want to distract him.”   
“ Well...just one pet should be okay. It might break his heart if you don’t.” He saw the poorly hidden excitement in Velma’s large brown eyes. Scooby’s own excitement was jump-started again as Velma reached forward finally making contact with his furry noggin. He pulled himself forward across Shaggy’s lap, trying to get closer to Velma. His excitement made her laugh.  
“Oh Scooby, what a ham!”


	6. Car Shelves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fred and Daphne assemble some shelves for the mystery machine and exchange sappy sentiments.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hyello! Here is the last pairing chapter! After this, I'll start bringing the gang together and romance and mysterious hijinks will ensue. Unfortunately, it looks like I'm not going to have any time to write for quite a while. Personal things are happening in my life and I need to focus on that. In the meantime, please leave your thoughts and ideas! Kudos and comments encourage me to write more!

Fred sat in the back of the van, surrounded by small screws and wire hangers looking desperately around him for answers. He held part of the lightweight scaffolding in his hands, trying to tell which piece goes where. A musical voice perked up from the front seat.  
“Did you try reading the instructions?” A delicate hand threw itself over the back of the seat lazily. “Because believe it or not, that might actually help.” He scoffed indignantly.  
“ Of course I read the instructions!” He shot back, looking away meekly as he muttered, “Well… parts of them…” The voice sounded off again with a delightful, twinkly laugh that was rudely interrupted with a small snort. Daphne sat up, her beautiful ginger hair mused from laying on the too cushy seats, and looked at Fred with one eyebrow raised.   
“Do you want help?” Fred let out a strangled groan, dropping the pieces off at his side as he flopped back.  
“I’m going to be an engineer! This should be way easier!” Throwing an arm over his eyes in defeat, he tried to ignore the sounds of Daphne crawling into the back of the large run-down van with him. She prodded him with a barefoot, gingerly pulling the crinkled instructions out from under his thigh. He lay there, letting the petite girl work around him. After a moment he peeked from under his arm and couldn’t help the smile that pulled at his lips. Daphne had balanced the instructions against the wall and had already assembled half of the supports for the shelves he had been attempting to install. “Gosh, you’re so smart, Daphne. “   
“Oh stop it, Freddy, I just read the instructions.” She waved him off, but now he was determined. Sitting up, he shuffled around to start helping her organize and locate the pieces she needed.   
“Yeah, I read the instructions too! And you were able to start putting it together right away. I’ve been sitting here for like….thirty minutes trying to figure it out.” She looked at him with amused sympathy.  
“It’s been over an hour.” He felt his cheeks flush and dropped his head to his knees.  
“ C’mon Daph, just let me give you a compliment!” Sitting back up he pouted at his long time friend, smiling victoriously when she finally caved.  
“Fine, fine, I’m a super talented, hot, genius and you’re madly in love with me.” She snarked, smiling at him conspiratorially as she continued working. He grinned back, relishing in the childhood joke.   
“Exactly.” She snorted again, readily accepting the shelves he was now handing her. They worked together well, not needing to fill every silence but not struggling for conversation either. It felt comfortable. Like home. Fred’s heart sped up at the notion. He did love Daphne. A lot. He’d been infatuated with her since they were little kids, not at all bothered when their parents joked about them getting married one day. They’d had their spats and arguments, which was healthy in any relationship, but they always came back to each other. And the more they grew and learned about each other, the more he realized that he really was in love with her. He’d expressed it earnestly right after they’d graduated high school but they both decided to wait until they’d finished their first year in college to do anything about it. And things stayed normal. There was no awkwardness, no dodging around things. Daphne had reciprocated his feelings, but they both agreed that they wanted space to explore themselves as adults before making any decisions.   
“So, you said you have a date on Friday?” Fred probed, feeling his heart clench as he said it. Daphne smiled with a far off look in her eye.  
“Yeah, I’m really excited…” She trailed off, looking at him uncertainly. “You’re not mad are you?” Fred was surprised he didn’t have to force the smile he fixed her with.  
“Nah, I just want you to be happy. “ Her face brightened all over again. “Besides… I’ve got my own date. “ He felt his smile turn sly as Daphne looked at him in shock.  
“Oh my god, Fredward! With who? When? “ She dropped the screwdriver she was holding and turned towards him. “Is she cute? Ooh, or is he cute? Do I know them? You’ve got to let me help you pick out an outfit!” He laughed and started putting his tools away. They’d finished this set of shelves a while ago.  
“Do you remember that guy in my outdoor rec class I was telling you about? “ Daphne nodded, looking like she might explode. “Well, I asked him out to lunch on Friday. And yes, I think he’s really cute. You’d like him, I think.” He felt...weird, telling Daphne about Shaggy. She was so genuinely excited for him and it made him happy. He covered his ears a little too late, her squealing echoing around the bare bones back of the van. She grabbing his arm and began to aggressively shake him. He assumed she was trying to get him to match her level of excitement.   
“Fredward!”  
“Would you, “ He paused, giggling with her as he pried her hand off of his arm, “ stop calling me that? And yes, please, I’m begging you to help me with an outfit. “ They looked at each other and dissolved into another round of giggles, pressing their foreheads together. Settling down, they stayed like that, just enjoying each other’s company. After several minutes, Fred spoke.   
“We’re okay still...right?” His voice was soft and shook just the tiniest bit. He did love Daphne still...but would it be okay if he fell in love with Shaggy too? Would he be okay if she fell in love with mystery girl?  
“I love you, Fred Jones. “ His heart skipped a beat, feeling reassured as she squeezed his large hands with her tiny ones. “ I’ve loved you since we were little kids, and I’m going to love you even when we’re old and gray. “  
“ And if we fall in love with other people? “ He felt dangerously close to tears.  
“ Then we’ll just have to explain Us to Them and hope they get used to it. I’m never leaving you behind, Freddy.” She moved to press her soft lips against his forehead and he exhaled a breath he doesn’t remember holding. They parted and he looked at her, the sun setting warmly behind her making her look like an angel.


End file.
